Warm Congratulations on Rebirth of Mozambique

ON the vigorous African continent which is fighting in unity, another independent country has gloriously come into being in the flames of armed struggle. Mozambique, a former Portuguese colony, today officially declared its independence and solemnly proclaimed the establishment of the People's Republic of Mozambique. The Mozambican people who had suffered untold colonial oppression have now stood up. This is a great victory won by them in a protracted armed struggle as well as a new success of the millions upon millions of African people in their united struggle against imperialism and colonialism. With immense joy, the Chinese people extend warm congratulations to the heroic Mozambican people. The rebirth of Mozambique comes out of the barrel of a gun. For nearly 500 years, the Mozambican people had been waging a courageous and indomitable struggle against the evil Portuguese colonialist rule and for national independence and liberation. The Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO) was formed on June 25, 1962. Two years later, the Mozambican people, under (he leadership of FRELIMO, took up arms and embarked on the road of armed struggle. After ten years of arduous, fierce struggle, they built up a strong armed force and liberated vast areas of territory, dealt a crushing blow to the Portuguese colonialists and compelled the Portuguese authorities to recognize last September the Mozambican people's right to national independence. Since then, the Mozambican people have continued to advance on the road to complete independence and finally won today's great victory. The victory of the Mozambican people has set an example of achieving national liberation through armed snuggle for the people in southern Africa who have yet lo win independence. It is bound to greatly encourage and propel the southern African people's struggle for national independence. The Mozambican people's heroic exploits have added a new page to the annals of the national-liberation movement in Africa. Their victory has testified to the truth: the people of a country, be it small or weak, can surely defeat their ferocious enemy and win national liberation so long as they dare to take up arms, enhance unity and persevere in struggle. At present, the African people are advancing in giant strides in their struggle against imperialism, colonialism, racism, Zionism and big power hegemonism. The armed struggles of the people of Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and Angola have overthrown the five-century-old Portuguese colonial rule in Africa. The people's armed struggle and mass movements in Zimbabwe, Namibia and Azania against white racism are daily growing in depth and incessantly dealing heavy blows to the reactionary regimes in South Africa and. Rhodesia. But the reactionaries will never be reconciled to their defeat. They are bound to seek opportunities to launch a counter-attack and struggle desperately. Since the end of last year, Vorster of South Africa and Smith of Rhodesia, instigated and backed by imperialists and the superpowers, have kept changing their tactics. While stepping up armed repression, they are feverishly engaging in the "peace talks" fraud in a vain attempt to stamp out the flames of people's armed struggle in Zimbabwe and other parts of southern Africa. But all these efforts are in vain. Their plots and intrigues have been seen through more and more clearly by the African countries and people. The triumphant advance of the African people is not to be checked by any force. The day is not far off when all Africa will stand up. The Chinese and Mozambican peoples and the African people as a whole are comrades-in-arms on the same front, who have forged a profound militant friendship in their common struggle against imperialism, colonialism and hegemonism. From now on, following Chairman Mao Tsetung's consistent teachings, we will for ever stand by the side of the great African people and resolutely support their just struggle until complete victory. We are deeply convinced that after the independence of Mozambique and the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Mozambique, the traditional militant friendship between the peoples of the two countries will surely be further consolidated and developed.